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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24134122">First Date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionheartedghost/pseuds/lionheartedghost'>lionheartedghost</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Dates, Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:15:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24134122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionheartedghost/pseuds/lionheartedghost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“The last time I went on a date to a fancy restaurant with a 9-1-1 dispatcher,” Buck said, pausing to flash a nervous smile, "it ended with her giving me an emergency tracheotomy.”<br/>Josh blinked. That was so <i>Buck</i> that he barely stifled a surprised laugh. “I hope you don’t plan on tonight ending the same way. That’s a nice tie you’re wearing and it’d be a shame to ruin it.” </p>
<p>Josh goes on a date with Buck.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley/Josh Russo, Josh Russo &amp; Maddie Buckley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>177</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>First Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChameleonCircuit/gifts">ChameleonCircuit</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted on Tumblr.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re awfully quiet today.”<br/><br/>
Josh looked up from his phone, his eyes landing on the curious half-smile on Maddie’s face. He locked his phone screen, set it face down on the table in front of him, and decided to feign innocence.<br/><br/>
“Hmm?”<br/><br/>
“You’re never this quiet.” Maddie narrowed her eyes over the top of a mug of coffee. “Are you planning something?”<br/><br/>
“No,” he replied. It wasn’t a lie. Not really. The planning part was finished.<br/><br/>
Maddie considered Josh’s phone, her head tilted ever so slightly to one side as she thought. “Something’s happening here.”<br/><br/>
Josh shrugged.<br/><br/>
Maddie held his gaze for another moment longer, then let it drop.<br/><br/>
“Chim and I were thinking of hosting another games night tonight if you want to come over?” She offered, taking a sip of her coffee. “Beers, poker, might even break out monopoly.”<br/><br/>
“I’d love to,” Josh said, glancing down to study the tiny scratches on the back of his phone case, “but I can’t. Plans. Another time?”<br/><br/>
That smile was back on Maddie’s face. “What sort of plans?”<br/><br/>
“You know, the usual plans.”<br/><br/>
“Plans with someone?” Maddie guessed, a knowing glint in her eye.<br/><br/>
“Well, it takes two to tango.” He was staying cool. It was fine. He was a grown man, he was his own person and <i>God</i> was he blushing? He could feel the heat beginning to rise in his cheeks.<br/><br/>
“Josh,” Maddie took a step closer to him. “Do you have a <i>date</i>?”<br/><br/>
Josh scoffed. He opened his mouth to deny it outright, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the look on Maddie’s face. Maybe he wanted people to know he was putting himself back out there. Or maybe it was because he was truly, genuinely looking forward to tonight, and hiding it didn’t feel fair to himself <i>or</i> to his date.<br/><br/>
“Maybe I do.” He slipped his phone into his pocket, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Maddie with a hint of a smile. “And that’s all you need to know.”<br/><br/>
Maddie laughed.<br/><br/>
Josh could still feel her eyes on him as he rinsed out his coffee mug and refilled it, and when he turned back around to face her, her expression was careful. He could see her thinking the words through even before she opened her mouth to say them.<br/><br/>
“Are you nervous?” She asked gently. “After what happened last time?”<br/><br/>
Last time. Josh tried to keep ‘last time’ pushed to the back of his mind.<br/><br/>
“Because Chim and I, we haven’t invited anyone over yet. We could just happen to be in the same place at the same time. We’d stay out of the way, but we’d be there.”<br/><br/>
“Thanks,” Josh said, “but I’m okay. Really.” There was another smile tugging at his lips. “This guy… he’s not like that. I’ve got a good feeling about him.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*</p>
</div>Buck held the menu in his hands like he’d never seen one before. He kept flicking through the pages, back and forth steadily enough to create a breeze that ruffled his hair. Josh smiled behind his own menu.<p>Buck set his menu down suddenly, reaching up to straighten his shirt collar.</p>
<p>“The last time I went on a date to a fancy restaurant with a 9-1-1 dispatcher,” Buck said, pausing to flash a nervous smile, "it ended with her giving me an emergency tracheotomy.”</p>
<p>Josh blinked. That was so <i>Buck</i> that he barely stifled a surprised laugh. “I hope you don’t plan on tonight ending the same way. That’s a nice tie you’re wearing and it’d be a shame to ruin it.” Josh turned his menu over, his eyes drifting over the back page. “Plus, I’d hate to miss dessert.”</p>
<p>Buck beamed. “You think it’s a nice tie?”</p>
<p>Josh cocked his head to the side in consideration. “It looks like a nice tie to me. Is it silk?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Buck held the material between his thumb and forefinger, brushing his fingertips absently over it. “Bobby said it was nicer than the other one I showed him. I would’ve asked Maddie for help, but…” The nerves were gone, replaced with a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked up again. “<i>Someone</i> didn’t want her to know.”</p>
<p>Josh rolled his eyes with a smile. “If you really wanted to tell your sister, I wouldn’t have stopped you.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s okay.” Buck tapped his fingers against the menu cover. “She’d just have shown up halfway through dinner.”</p>
<p>“She almost did anyway. She wanted to bring Chimney so they could sit in a corner somewhere in case you were an awful person.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? What did you tell her?”</p>
<p>Josh shrugged. “I told her you seemed like an okay guy.”</p>
<p>Buck feigned affront. “Just okay?”</p>
<p>“Mm.” Josh lifted his menu again and pretended to be deep in concentration as he studied the entrées. “You’re not bad.”</p>
<p>“‘Not bad’?” Buck paused for a moment to think it over. He grinned. “Then I guess I’ve got this dinner to bump it up to ‘pretty decent’, huh?”</p>
<p>Josh laughed. “I’m willing to let you try.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, kudos and comments are super appreciated!</p>
<p>I'm over on Tumblr <a href="http://lionheartedghost.tumblr.com/">here</a> if you want to leave a prompt or just say hi!</p>
<p>Stay safe and well everyone!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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